A novel technique for removing a fibrin sheath from a mediport catheter in the pediatric population

Safety and Effectiveness of Fibrin Sheath Stripping of Pediatric Chest Ports

PURPOSE

To report the safety and effectiveness of fibrin sheath stripping of pediatric chest ports.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fibrin sheath stripping procedures for pediatric chest ports between 2018 and 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. The treatment indication was the inability to aspirate blood from the port. The technical success, adverse events, days of primary and secondary service intervals, fluoroscopy time, and fluoroscopy dose were recorded.

RESULTS

Fibrin sheath stripping procedures were performed in 15 patients for a total of 18 procedures. All patients treated with fibrin sheath stripping had failed fibrinolytic treatment and a preprocedural fluoroscopy examination suggestive of fibrin sheath before attempting stripping. All fibrin sheath stripping procedures were technically successful. The median and mean total days of primary service interval from the date of port placement to the date of suspected fibrin sheath were 666 and 617 days, respectively. The median and mean total number of days of secondary service interval were 385 and 561 days, respectively. The mean fluoroscopy time was 16.9 minutes. The mean fluoroscopy air kerma was 29.8 mGy. No adverse events were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Fibrin sheath stripping is a safe and effective minimally invasive option to maintain the function of pediatric chest ports.

Challenges of long-term vascular access in pediatric hemodialysis: Recommendations for practitioners

Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment of end-stage renal disease in children. However, time to transplant varies, making a well-functioning long-term vascular access essential for performing hemodialysis efficiently and without disruption until a kidney becomes available. However, establishing long-term vascular access in pediatric patients can present distinct challenges due to this population's unique characteristics, such as smaller body size and lower-diameter blood vessels. There are three main pediatric long-term vascular access options, which include central venous catheters (CVC), arteriovenous fistula (AVF), and arteriovenous graft (AVG). CVC are currently the most widely used modality, although various studies and guidelines recommend AVF or AVG as the preferred option. Although AVF should be used whenever possible, it is crucial that clinicians consider factors such as patient size, physical exam findings, comorbidities, predicted duration of treatment to decide on the most optimal long-term vascular access modality. This article reviews the three long-term vascular access methods in children and the benefits and complications of each.

The fibroblastic sleeve, the neglected complication of venous access devices: A narrative review

The presence of a vascular access device (or of any intravascular foreign body) inside the bloodstream is often associated with the formation of a connective tissue sleeve around the catheter (often named-erroneously-"fibrin sleeve"). Such sleeve is usually a physiological phenomenon with little or no clinical relevance, but its pathogenesis is still unclear, so that it is frequently confused with venous thrombosis; also, its relationship with other major catheter-related complications, such as venous thrombosis and bloodstream infection, is uncertain. This narrative review tries to convey in a systematic form the current knowledge about pathogenesis, incidence, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management of this phenomenon.